The present invention is directed to a method incorporating novel disintegratable masking label which can be placed over confidential written material, and which fragments and disintegrates upon removal so as to provide evidence of tampering.
In today's research, business, academic and bio-medical environments, the integrity and absolute confidentiality of test results has achieved paramount importance. This is particularly true, for example, with respect to the written results of employee medical records on such matters as drug analysis. Numerous private and governmental entities have begun routinely conducting urinalysis testing for drug and alcohol dependency. It is important, both for the integrity of the test, and the confidentiality and privacy of the testee, that such results not be altered.
Previous efforts at providing tamper-proofing have been largely directed towards preventing the tampering of the packaging for pharmaceuticals and food products. This became a particularly serious problem in the early 1980s when the products of several leading drug manufacturers were altered, leading to the deaths of several individuals. There are a large number of patents which are directed toward detecting and preventing the tampering of pharmaceuticals and foodstuffs.
There have also been efforts at protecting the integrity and confidentiality of written matter. Previous products in this area have utilized multiple layered adhesive labels which were placed over confidential written material. The first layer would contact the written material with the second or top layer adhering to the first. When an attempt is made to remove the top layer, it pulls off parts of the underlying second layer thereby providing evidence of tampering. Labels produced in this manner are relatively expensive and do not always tear properly. Labels of this type also frequently destroy the underlying written material upon removal.
Finally, removable paints have been developed for masking written materials. These paints can be both messy and difficult to apply.
The present invention is directed to a novel label structure which is placed over written matter on a page and which is configured to fragment and disintegrate upon removal. This product, therefore, is useful in identifying whether confidential written results have been tampered with or altered.
The present invention utilizes a single layer structure including sets of tamper-proof slits or cuts. The label is applied directly to an underlying paper surface containing confidential written material and is firmly burnished thereon. When the label is removed, it breaks apart at the slits or cuts, thus providing clear evidence of tampering. Because of the minuteness of the fragmentation, it is impossible to reconstruct the label so as to eliminate the evidence of tampering. The label is adhered with a removable adhesive and therefore does not destroy the underlying written matter upon removal.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a single layer disintegratable masking label which thereby evidences tampering.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive masking label which can be utilized to determine whether research has been tampered with or violated.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a masking label which disintegrates upon removal from a masked medium.
It is still yet a further object of the present invention to provide a masking label containing tamper-proof cuts which cause the label to disintegrate upon removal from a masked medium.